Enhancing international scientific cooperation
The worldwide network of National Contact Points (NCPs) has fostered global cooperation with the bloc and is building valuable bridges through joint partnerships, collaborative innovation and common investment. These efforts have been supported by the EU's International Cooperation (INCO) programme, which ensures that nations beyond EU Member States and Associated countries can also access opportunities and partnerships with the bloc. Against this backdrop, the EU-funded INCONTACT-ONE WORLD (Trans-national co-operation among NCPs for international cooperation) project sought to foster closer collaboration among INCO NCPs. The project team organised four INCO conferences and 22 info days worldwide. The conferences provided an opportunity for networking, training, discussion of global science policy issues and for presenting the research capacities of non-EU countries. Project partners developed the INCO-Wiki, an online database and communication platform for INCO NCPs and the international community. It provides relevant information, calls for EU-funded projects, news, events and useful material on international cooperation such as best practices guides. Other project achievements included four training events for the professional development of INCO NCPs on topics such as communication, project dissemination, intellectual property rights, financial management and cultural differences. Several regional activities were also held to meet specific training needs. NCP twinning schemes provided support to new third-country INCO NCPs, and targeted assistance and training was held for several other NCPs. In addition, two infographics and a photo album were produced that emphasise the international dimension of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and Horizon 2020, particularly in addressing the societal challenges facing humanity. INCONTACT-ONE WORLD fostered close cooperation among INCO NCPs and encouraged them to work together to enhance the overall quality of NCP services in the field of international cooperation and beyond. The global research community stands to benefit from the exchange of information, knowledge and scientific excellence.
Keywords
Scientific cooperation, National Contact Points, international cooperation, science policy